Olga
Tañon
Three time Grammy Award winner,Olga Tañon has been a
force in Latin Music ever since she recorded her first solo album titled
"Sola" with record label WEA Latina in 1992. This superstar has brought
audiences to their feet in the most important theaters, concert halls
and arenas from her native Puerto Rico, all of Latin America, Spain
and the United States, establishing herself as one of the most accomplished
and revered Latin artists in the world today.
When Olga hits the stage, her energetic stage presence takes over and
crowds go wild singing and dancing to her music. She engages the audience
with her versatile voice, her Tina Turner-like moves, and charismatic
personality. Olga is the real deal, a natural performer meant to be
in the limelight.
Olga paid her dues working the stage since she was a little girl in
her native Puerto Rico. She sang in church choirs, performed in school
theater productions, and competed in various talent contests, which
ironically, she never won. Now, with 14 years of musical experience
to her credit, "La Mujer de Fuego" or the Woman of Fire, as she is known,
has everything to gain and nothing to lose.
When she signed with Warner Music International in October 2001, after
nearly a decade with WEA Latina, she was aiming to expand her reach
as an international artist with broad possibilities. And the possibilities
are endless.
In the year 2001, she became the second Puerto Rican female artist to
receive a statuette from the National Academy of Recording Arts and
Science (NARAS) for her live double-disc titled "Olga viva, viva Olga."
The first to receive this recognition was legendary performer Rita Moreno.
In February 2002, Olga became the first and only Puerto Rican and Latin
female artist to win the coveted Grammy award two years in a row. That
same year she won a Billboard Award for "Best Merengue Album" for her
musical production, "Yo Por Ti" and mesmerized the audience with a live
performance at the ceremonies. An extraordinary year for Olga, she also
received five Premio Lo Nuestro awards, including the "People's Choice"
award and performed to sell out crowds at the legendary Apollo Theatre
in Harlem, New York and Next Stage in Grand Prairie, Texas, becoming
the first Latin female artist to ever perform at this venue.
With millions of albums sold all over the world, this captivating performer
is a talent to be reckoned with. Her enchanting duo with Egyptian superstar,
Hakim titled "Ya Albi" was released in May 2002. The song, designed
to break through musical and cultural boundaries is slowly becoming
an international hit. It's number one in Cairo, Lebanon and Alexandria
and very strong in France.
Olga performed with Hakim at the World Economic Forum at the Waldorf
Astoria in New York City, sharing the stage with such stars as Bono,
Ravi Shankar, Peter Gabriel, India Arie, Lauryn Hill, Herbie Hancock,
Phil Ramone, and Quincy Jones, among others. Quincy Jones was particularly
taken aback by Olga's performance. She also performed the popular hit
"Ya Albi" with Hakim at the world famous Radio City Music Hall in New
York City on July 2002 for the One World Jam concert.
In September 2002, she was awarded her first Latin Grammy for her album
"Yo Por Ti." And the following month, Olga had the honor of receiving
the "Tropical Female Singer of the Year" award for the Latin Music Awards
and the Musica Latina Award for "Best Selling Tropical Album" for the
same album. In Venezuela, Olga was awarded the Premio Orquidea de Diamante,
the highest recognition for any artist ever in Venezuela.
With numerous awards under her belt and four millions albums sold around
the globe, Olga Tañon is at the peak of her career. She is a powerful
singer blessed with a beautiful voice, a dynamic body to dance with
and tremendous sex appeal. But with all these qualities that she can
be proud of, she's still a humble human being with a witty sense of
humor.
If "Mujer de Fuego," Olga's second album released in 1993, established
her as merengue's reigning queen, then "Nuevos Senderos" (released in
1995 with the collaboration of Marco Antonio Solis, Rudy Perez and Kike
Santander), proved Olga's undeniable ability to cross the borders of
every musical genre. She's one of the very few artists who has the ability
to perform a wide range of musical genres from pop to ballads, from
merengue to salsa and boogaloo (a fusion of Latin rhythms with R&B and
soul, which originated in NY.) "Nuevos Senderos" sold over 500,000 copies
and earned her the Recording Industry of America's (RIAA) Gold status.
Olga Tañon's most recent musical production is without a doubt her best.
"Sobrevivir," (or Survive) a collection of pop and ballad songs with
great arrangements is a brilliant album produced by Humberto Gatica
(Alejandro Sanz-winner of the Latin Grammy for "Best Album of the Year"
produced by Gatica), Kike Santander, Latin Grammys "Producer of the
Year" (Cristian Castro, Gloria Estefan) and Manuel Tejada, who has been
Olga's producer for some of her biggest tropical releases.
"Sobrevivir" will mark a breakthrough in her career and is destined
to be a best seller, an album that will open doors and new markets for
the Puerto Rican star. "Sobrevivir" is a true masterpiece from a true
survivor.
DISCOGRAPHY
1992 - Sola
1993 - Mujer de Fuego
1994 - Siente el Amor
1995 - Éxitos y Más
1995 - Nuevos Senderos
1997 - Llévame Contigo
1999 - Te Acordaras de Mi
1999 - Olga Viva, Viva Olga
2001 - Yo Por Ti
2002 - Sobrevivir